Animal Kingdom Question 122
122. What will you look for to identify the sex of the following?
(a) Female Ascaris- Sharply curved posterior end
(b) Male frog- A copulatory pad on the first digit of the hind limb
(c) Female cockroach-Anal cerci
(d) Male shark-Claspers borne on pelvic fins
Show Answer
Answer : d
Hints & Solutions
(d) A male shark possesses a pair of claspers which are inserted into a female shark’s cloaca (an opening on the underside of the body) at the time of mating. Claspers are located on the inner edge of the pelvic fins near the male’s cloaca. The function of claspers is to introduce sperm into a female shark’s body for the purpose of fertilizing her eggs. Female sharks do not have claspers.
